Belfast: St Mary's University College

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the legal status of St Mary's College in Belfast; what is the structure of its governing body; whether it contains any religious representatives; if so, of what denomination; and whether they will consider designating St Mary's under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Lord Rooker: The legal status of St Mary's University College is pursuant to a charitable educational trust. St Mary's is governed according to a scheme of management drawn up between the trustees of the college and the Department for Employment and Learning.
	The structure and representation of the board of governors of the college is as follows:
	Four ex-officio governors: The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor and one of his Vicars General; the Irish Regional Vicar of the Cabra Dominican Congregation or a person nominated by her; and the Principal of the College.
	Eight nominated governors: Six appointed by the trustees in consultation with the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Catholic Dioceses of Armagh, Clogher/Kilmore, Derry and Dromore; one member of the academic staff to be appointed by the academic board; and one student representative elected by the Students Union.
	Six representative governors: Four to be appointed, in consultation with the trustees, by the Department for Employment and Learning; and two to be appointed by the Senate of Queen's University Belfast. The governors can also co-opt a member if they so declare at a duly constituted meeting.
	St Mary's University College was designated for the purposes of Section 75 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on 13 April 2001.

Belfast: Stranmillis University College

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What effect Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 had on the decision to alter the governance of Stranmillis University College in Belfast; whether, and on what basis, the existing religious representatives will transfer to the new governing body provided for in the Colleges of Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2005.

Lord Rooker: The decision to alter the constitution of the Board of Governors of Stranmillis University College was taken to comply with the requirements of other equality legislation, not as a direct result of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
	With effect from the commencement of the Instrument of Government, provided for in the Colleges of Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2005, the Church representatives will be appointed to the governing body, under the transitional arrangements within the instrument, until the end of their original term of appointment.

Companies House Pricing Review

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the deletions made by Companies House before releasing the final report of the Companies House Pricing Review (June 2004) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 comply with (a) the legal requirements; and (b) the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Yes. Information was withheld from the released version of the final report under exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
	Under Section 43 because it would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of Companies House. This information was also exempt under Section 35 because it related to the formulation of government policy.
	Under Section 42 because it was subject to legal professional privilege.
	Under Section 38 because it could have endangered the physical or mental health or safety of any individual.
	The Act provides exemptions to the rights of access to information in order to ensure a proper balance between extending people's access to official information and preserving confidentiality where disclosure would be against the public interest. In this case the Registrar of Companies was satisfied that the balance of public interest was correctly applied and that the redactions were explained by Companies House when it released the report.

Control Orders

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 20 July concerning the London terror attack, when they will publish information about the number of persons in the United Kingdom who are subject to control orders;
	Whether the operation of control orders made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 is satisfactory.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I refer the noble Baroness to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 10 October (WS7), which is the second three-monthly report on the exercise of the control order powers.
	A separate report will be made by Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, once the legislation has been in place for nine months. The report will be laid before Parliament by the Home Secretary.

House of Lords: Dress Code

Lord Laird: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether any changes in the dress code for any part of the House of Lords during sitting days have been introduced since 2000; if so, what the changes were; and when they came into force.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: In November 2004 the Refreshment Committee agreed that, in accordance with the views of 71 per cent of the respondents to the members' survey, the requirement for men to wear a jacket and tie in the Peers' Dining Room, the Guest Dining Room, the Guest Room bar and the Barry Room should be maintained. The committee also agreed that, with effect from November 2004, this requirement should not necessarily apply to those aged under 20.

Northern Ireland Parades Commission

Lord Steinberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in view of the recent rioting in Northern Ireland, they will consider a reform of the Parades Commission.

Lord Rooker: The Parades Commission is an independent body, which does a difficult job in often difficult circumstances and which makes its determinations in the light of all information available.
	The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) reviewed parades and the legislation in 2004. It concluded "steady progress had been made by the Parades Commission in difficult and contentious circumstances". The NIAC also believed "that retaining the Parades Commission offers the best hope for developing peaceful solutions".
	In finding a way forward on parades the main objective is to encourage dialogue and mutual understanding and to reduce the number of or eliminate altogether the contentious parades, facilitating a more carnival or celebratory event. I can assure the noble Lord that we are working very hard to achieve this.
	The noble Lord may recall that the Government announced in June that the autumn and winter was the time to see whether we can improve the wider process for better dialogue and greater understanding. The Parades Commission is shortly to be reconstituted and will be looking at its processes around 11/1 (parade notification) forms, authorised officers, compliance transparency and monitoring. There will not be a review of the legal framework for parades.

Northern Ireland: Post-primary Education

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What official reports have been presented relating to post-primary education in Northern Ireland since 2000; who has chaired each study; and what experience each chairperson has had of state sector education in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The Post-primary Review Body, chaired by Gerry Burns, produced its report in October 2001. The Post-primary Review Working Group, chaired by Steve Costello, produced its report in January 2004.
	In each case, members were chosen because of the range and depth of their knowledge and experience of the education system in Northern Ireland. The chairpersons were chosen for their independence, impartiality and their previous experience on groups dealing with high profile issues. In addition, Gerry Burns was formerly a further education lecturer and Steve Costello served as a member of the South Eastern Education and Library Board and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment and has been a member of the governing bodies of a range of school types and in the further and higher education sectors.

Northern Ireland: Primary Education

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the number of children in primary education in Northern Ireland; and how many attend (a) state sector schools; (b) Catholic maintained sector schools; (c) integrated sector schools; and (d) Irish language schools.

Lord Rooker: The number of children in primary education (year 1 to year 7) in Northern Ireland in 2004–05, by sector, was as follows.
	
		
			 Sector Number of Pupils 
			 Controlled 1,2 77,799 
			 Catholic maintained 3 74,849 
			 Integrated 6,392 
			 Irish medium 4 1,586 
			 All primary schools 5 163,220 
		
	
	Note:
	1 Includes pupils at preparatory departments of controlled grammar schools.
	2 Includes 48 pupils at a controlled Irish medium school.
	3 Includes 159 pupils at a Catholic maintained Irish medium school.
	4 Excludes 207 pupils counted elsewhere (see notes 2 and 3).
	5 Includes 446 pupils at other maintained schools, and 2,148 pupils at the preparatory departments of voluntary grammar schools, not counted above.

Northern Ireland: Smoking in Public Places

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they propose to ban smoking in all public houses and restaurants in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: On 17 October I announced that I would introduce comprehensive controls on smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces, including public houses and restaurants. It is my intention that the legislation will come into force in April 2007.

Palace of Westminster: New Traffic Arrangements

Lord Greaves: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What assessment of the risk to cyclists was carried out when the new traffic arrangements for St Margaret Street and Old Palace Yard were designed; and whether he considers them safe for cyclists travelling in a southerly direction.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: It is inappropriate for me to comment in detail on security matters, but the project to replace the concrete blockers with steel barriers was undertaken in full consultation with Westminster City Council, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police.

Redundant Heavy Weapons: Disposal

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are supporting the disposal of redundant heavy weapons in the countries of the former Soviet Union in the manner identified and recommended by the Centre of European and North Atlantic Affairs and the Conflict Studies Research Centre of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.

Lord Drayson: In the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) the term "reduction" refers to the method used to bring Treaty Limited Equipment below agreed ceilings. Disposal of redundant weapons is the permanent removal from service of Treaty Limited Equipment that is already below treaty ceilings. All former Soviet Union countries that are CFE signatories are below their ceilings. The disposal of surplus equipment within the ceilings stipulated in the CFE Treaty is a national responsibility.

Socio-economic Models

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have considered the Rhineland socio-economic model, in view of its apparently positive aspects in Germany; and whether any conclusions can be drawn that would benefit the British economy.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: There are a variety of socio-economic models in the EU. These reflect the differing institutional structures and cultural preferences in the member states. The Rhineland model represents one such approach, tailored to the characteristics of the German economy, which in the past has played a part in delivering a strong export-driven economy. In the UK, the Government's approach has delivered a strong economy, low unemployment, and high employment.
	However, in the context of globalisation and large-scale unemployment in Europe, all socio-economic models face new challenges. The recent pamphlet Global Europe: full-employment Europe, published by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, sets out the challenges facing European economies, and the actions they must take if they are to be successful in the global economy. This is available at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/EEE/71/global—europe—131005.pdf.

Violent Crime

Lord Northbourne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In respect of the most recent year for which figures are available, how many violent crimes committed by people under the age of 18 were committed by (a) males; (b) females; (c) males under the influence of (i) alcohol, or (ii) drugs; (d) males who had not achieved one or more GCSE passes; and (e) males who were unemployed, and not in full-time education, at the time the crime was committed.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The available information from the Home Office court proceedings database is contained in the table. It shows the number of prosecution and convictions for violent crime (includes all offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery) for males, and females under 18 years of age, England and Wales, 2003.
	
		Number of defendants (1) aged 10 to 17 proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for violent crime offences (2), England and Wales, 2003
		
			 Gender Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Males 16,031 8,257 
			 Females 2,587 1,411 
			 Total 18,618 9,668 
		
	
	(1) These data are on the principal offence basis
	(2) Violent crime includes all offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
	Information regarding the circumstances of an offence is not centrally collected. Statistics for court proceedings 2004 will be available in autumn this year.
	The 2003 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey directly asked young people about the offences they had committed in the past year. The table attached shows the proportion of males and females aged 10 to 17 who admitted committing violent offences. This separates out the more serious forms of violence and non-injury assaults. More serious violence includes any assaults resulting in injury, including minor injuries, and robbery. Not all incidents measured by the survey will be sufficiently serious to come to the attention of the courts.
	
		Percentage of 10-17 year olds interviewed in 2003 for the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey who had committed violent offences in the previous year, by gender (2003 OCJS)
		
			  Males 10 to 17 Females 10 to 17 
			 Violent offences 24% 13% 
			 Assaults 24% 13% 
			 Robbery <0.5% <0.5% 
			 Base n 1,334 1,235 
		
	
	Note:
	Violent offences include: assault with injury, assault without injury and robbery.
	Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Office and that for Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland Office.

Wind Energy

Lord Dixon-Smith: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to wind turbines currently installed for electricity generation, what proportion of time since their installation they have not been able to generate electricity.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: We do not collect data on the availability of individual wind turbines. However, a report by the Sustainable Development Commission makes it clear that a wind turbine will be producing useful power for 70 to 80 per cent of the year.
	A copy of the Sustainable Development Commission's report, Wind Power in the UK, is available from the Libraries of the House.